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Syrian rights activists on Monday said 98 people, including 72 military dissidents in Idleb province, were killed in one of the deadliest days since the start of the revolt against Bashar Assad's regime some nine month ago. Four people were killed and dozens wounded in downtown Damascus after a rally againstthe regime. Proteters threw stones while security forces reacted with fire.

Reports claim that the cities of Dara'a, Deir Al-Zour and Idleb saw massive violent clashes during the past two days. Fierce clashes were reported between the Syrian army and deserters.

In a striking development the capital Damascus saw this afternoon heavy gunfire during a mass demonstration. The protesters came out for the funeral of a student killed recently by security forces in the Meydan neighborhood. The rally lasted about an hour and a half in a Abu Habel street in Meydan. They were met by security forces and the regime militia who used live bullets at the demonstrators, killing four and wounding some 30. Activists conveyed that security forces arrested a large number of demonstrators.

In Idleb, in northern Syria, there was heavy fighting on Monday afternoon in the Ma'arrat Numan town, following the defection of a group of soldiers, who killed three members of the Syrian army. Eyewitnesses said some 70 deserters were killed Monday afternoon after they were shot by machine guns as they fled from the military posts on the road between the towns of Kinsafrah and Jebel Aweid.